The present invention is generally directed to the field of saddles or seats for bicycles and the like and is more particularly directed to a method for inexpensive manufacture of a bicycle saddle and a saddle produced by such method.
Heretofore, bicycle saddles have been made with labor intensive procedures. For example, a saddle frame or shell is typically hand covered with a cushion which is thereafter covered by a fabric/film material. The fabric/film material is typically hand sewn and machine stitched or stapled to an underside of the shell and thereafter various designs or logos applied to the fabric.
Alternatively, logos and scuff resistant pads may be hand sewn or applied to the fabric/film before it is conformed to the cushion and shell to produce a finished bicycle saddle, or the like.
Clearly, these operations entail a great number of labor intensive procedures. Accordingly, the manufacture of the many saddles has been transferred to overseas plants in which labor costs are significantly lower.
In order to provide effective cushioning, many saddles have utilized elastomeric materials which are soft, elastic and have viscoelastic properties.
Such elastomeric cushions, however, have an inherent problem with regard to limited compressibility and, accordingly, do not permit the cushioned seat to provide deep compression for the rider which provides a shock absorbency and overall comfort to the rider.
The present invention incorporates an elastomeric cushion in the manufacture of a bicycle saddle which is accomplished through non-labor intensive methods. In other words, the present invention, because of the elimination of manual labor intensive steps, provides for the manufacture of a bicycle saddle or the like, in an inexpensive manner. Further, all of the advantages of a hand assembled saddle are provided by the method of the present invention in the production of a bicycle saddle. In addition, the elastomeric in the present invention is formed with sealed air columns to accommodate deep compression and scuff pads for abrasion resistance.
The bicycle saddle in accordance with the present invention is produced by the steps of providing a fabric or film having a selected perimeter contour and disposing the fabric/film mold with the fabric/film perimeter surrounding a mold cavity. The cavity has a bicycle saddle contour.
A gelable polymer is disposed into the mold cavity and onto the fabric and thereafter the fabric/film may be contoured to the mold cavity using a fixture while heating the polymer to form a shaped elastomer which adheres to the fabric/film in order to permanently contour the fabric/film in the shape of a bicycle saddle contour.
Preferably, in order to further reduce production costs, after the fabric/film is disposed into the mold, hot polymer elastomer is injected thereon in order to conform the fabric/film to the mold. Upon cooling, the shaped elastomer maintains the fabric/film in conformance with the imparted mold contour.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a bicycle saddle shell is provided and a top surface of the shell may be heated to a temperature sufficient to bond the shell to the shaped elastomer. The heated shell is pressed onto the shaped elastomer to bond the elastomer to the top surface 6f the elastomer.
More particularly, the shell perimeter may be heated along with proximate undersurface area and the fabric/film perimeter may be folded over the shell perimeter in order to bond the fabric/film perimeter to the shell underside. In this manner, no sewing, stitching, stapling or other further labor intensive activity is required to complete the bicycle saddle. This step may be utilized with or without heating of the shell.
In order to enhance the cushioning capability of the elastomer and, in fact, provide a saddle having various cushioning properties throughout the saddle surface, a plurality of spaced apart open ended cavities may be formed in the shaped elastomer. Thereafter, the open ended cavities may be sealed by the shell being bonded thereto.
As hereinabove noted, the cushioning characteristics of the saddle are provided by forming a plurality of cavities having different depths in order to provide greater cushioning of the saddle in selected areas. In addition, or alternative thereto, the cavities in the shaped gel may have a selected spaced apart relationship in order to control the cushioning properties of the saddle. In addition, foam may be disposed in the cavities in order to tailor the resilient characteristics of the cushion.
In addition to the hereinabove recited steps or independence thereof, in order to provide scuff resistance surfaces on the fabric/film, urethane film, or other suitable plastic film, may be provided with a selected cutout portion therein which is heat sealed to one side of the fabric/film for disposing the fabric/film into the mold with the urethane film facing the mold cavity. Subsequently inverted, the urethane film covers portions of the fabric/film particularly the tail and horn portions in order to provide scuff and abrasion resistant to these prominent areas of the saddle after application of the fabric/film to the shell.
Additionally, logos, or printed photographs, may be affixed to the saddle by disposing such items over the first plastic film before heat sealing a second plastic film thereto. These steps are formed prior to placement of the fabric/film into the mold and result in decorative images which are displayed on the saddle without the separate labor intensive steps of sewing logos, or applying decals or the like to the fabric.